Love is a Battlefield
by Crescent Blue
Summary: Zima has lost many battles, but he'll never lose the war. Dita's defenses will fall.
1. Actions Speak Louder

A/N: Zima and Dita are my all-time favorite Chobits pairing. They're too perfect and too adorable and they don't get enough love in my humble opinion. Chi is adorable, Yuzuki is loving and sweet and Kotoko is just plain awesome. But Zima and Dita win. So, I was inspired to write a drabble series starring the two Government 'Coms and their adventures in the realm of romance.

Disclaimer: Chobits and all related characters and content belong to CLAMP. I own nothing and am earning nothing.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_'She can't say it for some reason.'_ Zima pondered to himself. _'It's definitely not because she doesn't love me though.'_ He wondered if it was pride that was keeping her from saying "I love you, Zima."

They had another of what he called "lovers' spats" just a few hours ago. They were never heated, but they always ended with the same result: Dita ignoring him, but still keeping an optic and audio sensor open for anything abnormal.

Zima chuckled to himself. She's angry at him for making her think about things that she finds inexplicable, but is still worried enough to keep watch. _'Yes, she loves me.'_

"What are you laughing about now, Zima?" Dita asked somewhat petulantly. She didn't understand him at all.

"Oh nothing. I just can't get over how cute you are, Dita."

"Cute...You call everything cute." Dita huffed.

"Not everything. Just you." Zima didn't have to tell her, even though he had several times, that he loved her angry/pouty face. He wondered if he'd miss the angry/pouty faces once she's properly confessed.

"Because you want me to say some impossible declaration?"

"It's not impossible, you just won't acknowledge it yet. But you'll get there." Zima was used to these outbursts. He figured that a human would've given up already, but he was patient. The evidence was there, but he wanted to hear her say it. She was getting closer with each bout. It was only a matter of time.

"Yes it is. We're Persocoms, Zima. We're not supposed to feel anything."

"You're going to have to try something different than that, Dita love." He knows that they are Persocoms, but that didn't stop him from his behavior now, did it?

"How about a more direct statement then? I'm not good with words like you are, Zima. And besides, aren't my actions proof enough? I already told you that I'd go down with you." Dita's optics widened at her slip-up.

Zima felt mischief bubble up inside of him. He was about to ask her what she was trying to prove with her actions, but that would've caused her 'anti-emotion firewall' to be spawned with full force. He smiled at his accomplishment. _She nearly said it!_

_'Just a few more nudges.'_

"I accept your makeshift confession."

With that, Zima left her alone for the rest of the night leaving a fuming Dita staring at the nonchalant Data Bank.


	2. Ulterior Motives

Zima was constructed with the most advanced, most powerful, and highest grade security protocols amongst all Persocoms. The data he carried was invaluable to many political and governmental entities. Naturally, that made him a prime target for enemies and rivals. Hackers and even plots to abduct him were thrown about. The hackers were held at bay and their computers were reduced to molten slag by the time he was finished with them. Any attempts to abduct him were foiled as soon as he alerted his owners of the threat. They deployed their own measures and brought the criminals in.

For some reason, his superiors felt that added protection was needed. They felt that he was somehow still too vulnerable. He huffed. Oh well. What could he really do? If he fussed, he'd be undergoing extensive diagnostic exams. He didn't like being shut down for hours on end while they poked and prodded at his systems. But alas, he was a Persocom. Just a computer. Diagnostics were the nature of the beast.

So, his owners commissioned Dr. Mihara to construct a 'Com who would serve as his bodyguard, firewall and anti-virus protection. Him? Needing protection? He huffed yet again.

At long last, one of his team's lab techs summoned him and they traveled back to Dr. Mihara's lab. Once at his 'birthplace', he noticed that Freya had a twin sister now. The lookalike introduced herself as Elda. Freya and Elda tackle-hugged him at the same time. He sighed. He cared for his proverbial sisters, but sometimes, their love was a bit too much. He smiled and returned their embrace.

After much giggling courtesy of the lab tech and Mrs. Chitose Mihara, Zima was taken downstairs to the lab where he himself was created.

There she was, still attached to wires and optics serenely closed. Zima felt that he was looking at a Persocom goddess. She was perfect.

He walked over towards the sleeping beauty and he cupped her cheek in his hand. She opened her optics and met his.

Zima wasn't grumpy about his future partner any longer. In fact, he couldn't control the smile on his face.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Zima!"

An angry voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Yes, love?"

"This is the fourth time that you've been hacked! They got through six of your passwords!"

"Yes?"

"The lab techs can't figure out why!"

"Yes?"

"...It's like you're not even trying to do your job!"

"Oh no. I do my job just fine, Dita."

"Hmph. You act like you don't care that you're the National Data Bank."

"I prefer Dita over data."

Zima would never tell anyone that he sometimes lowered his defenses on purpose because he loved having Dita close to and inside him. Seeing those ruby optics shimmer with concern and care was just beautiful to him...even if the hacking did hurt him. Feeling her chase the hackers out brought about a pleasant sensation through his circuits. It didn't feel like this when his lab technicians cleansed him of the hacker's damage.

In his mind, the pain was worth it.


	3. The Original Prankster

They heard a voice floating through their heads whenever Elda was close to executing her true program. Every Persocom around the world heard it.

_"Only the One Just for Me can ever come inside."_

_'I already have a One Just for Me though. What could she be getting at?' _Zima pondered on the mantra flooding his CPU. Unlike the other 'Coms, he and Dita could still function despite the mantra's hypnotizing hold over every other 'Com.

A sudden idea struck Zima. He smirked to himself knowing that Dita wouldn't see it because she was busy trying to discover the phenomena's source.

"Where is this coming from, Zima? I just can't pinpoint it!" Dita's interrogation went unanswered. She growled to herself and turned to face her ward.

If she had lungs, she'd have stopped breathing. There was Zima standing blank faced and optics empty. He was repeating a mantra similar to the one that invaded their processors.

"_**Zima has found the One Just for Me. Zima's Special Person. The Person Just for He.**_"

"ZIMA!" Dita ran over to the tall Persocom. "Snap out of it, Zima! It's that girl! Hang on, I'll drive her out!"

Dita wouldn't let Zima be hacked into and destroyed by the program. She cursed herself for not paying closer attention to him during its brief activation. She opened her earport and withdrew the cable that would connect to Zima's drive.

Just as her hand reached Zima's earport, she felt his hand grip hers and stop it in its tracks.

"_**Are you the One Just for Me? Only the One Just for Me can ever come inside.**_"

"Zima, stop it and let me connect! You're being hacked and aren't behaving normally!" Dita struggled to free her hand from his iron grip, but couldn't. '_Damn it! He's fading away right in front of me! I can't let him! I won't! Come on, Zima! Wake up!_'

She heard a chuckle. She realizes the reason behind the chuckle. '__I...I said that all of that out loud!__'

"My dear Dita. I hadn't realized that you cared so much about me! I should've known you better than that." Zima hugged the feisty, petite Persocom to his chest and sunk to the ground with her. He placed a kiss on her forehead and held her there.

"Don't. scare. me. like. that. again." Dita's growl was muffled against his chest.

"I didn't mean to scare you, love. Just wanted to see your lovely reaction."

A muffled "Pfft." was his only reply.

'_Yes._ __I am the only one who can ever come inside.'__

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: Anyone else feel that classic catchphrase could apply to Zima and Dita? Anyway, thanks so much for reading! :-)


	4. An Oversight

Between the two of them, Dita was most often confused for a human. Her earports were hidden underneath her unruly hair. Zima, though tall and somewhat intimidating, had a bit of a harder time blending in without his visor on. They normally avoided contact with the public. They were comfortable lounging on rooftops in the daytime or in the dark of the night. Rain and sun never bothered them. The two were designed to absorb energy from the sun if their resources were draining low.

The only weather phenomena that would cause them harm were thunderstorms. Advanced government Persocoms or not, no computer did well against a direct lightning strike.

An evening thunderstorm decided to spoil their normalcy. A quick search of Zima's files led them to a library that wouldn't close until 9pm. It was only 6:45pm. They had time to ride out the storm. The local weather radar told them both that the storm would pass within fifty minutes.

The government 'Coms sauntered their way into the library and seated themselves in a far corner. It wasn't ideal for them whatsoever. Zima wanted to go back to cuddling with Dita on a rooftop, but Dita was on overdrive tracking everyone's movements. Too many potential enemies were amongst them. Dita wanted the rooftop solitude to get Zima as far away from danger as possible.

"Dita love, relax. This is a library. Their hardware is hardly strong enough to even crack one character of my passwords."

"But that doesn't mean the Persocoms around here can't." Dita still couldn't believe his nonchalant nature. Did nothing phase him? Wasn't he ever concerned about breaking down?

"Let's see. The pink-haired one over there is searching cooking tips for her owner. The purple-haired male is suggesting books that he'd like to read. The redhead is helping her owner study for an exam. I detect no immediate threats to our security."

"But they could still make an attempt."

Zima chuckled. His overprotective, jealous, adorable Dita. What would he do without her? He checked the storm's progress on the weather radar that displayed on his visor. Another twenty minutes and they should be scot-free. The tall, dark Data Bank had placed his visor on the table and was about to scan the book selections when they heard the sound of high heels clacking. It seemed to be coming towards them. A brunette woman in a peach-colored ruffled top, a white skirt that came to her thighs and wearing strong perfume had approached them.

She addressed Dita. Zima could sense her defense protocols activating, but admired her for keeping them at bay for the moment. They were under strict orders to not harm civilians unless directly threatened. The most they could do to civilians was restrain them if they interfered with their operation.

"Pardon me, miss. Are you the owner of this Persocom? What brand is he?"

Zima fought to squash his blossoming chuckle. He shouldn't have taken his visor off. Oops.

The Japanese National Data Bank decided to see if he could create a match for this woman's information. Ah, she is a prestigious lawyer named Sana Kisaragi. One of the best in the nation and very wealthy. As of now, the woman owned a total of twelve Persocoms, one serving as her butler, two functioning as maids, and the rest took care of her legal work. Apparently, she wanted him to be the thirteenth. He couldn't wait to witness Dita's reaction.

"Brand? Pfft. We're-" The lithe, fiery Persocom was cut off by the pushy woman who wasn't turned off by Dita's vitriol.

"Oh, he's a custom made unit. I see. Well then. May I offer you a deal? And if you must know, I can pay handsomely. Just restart him and I'll take good care of him from here on out." Sana had moved closer to Zima while her hand inched its way closer to his left earport. Dita was about to lunge at the woman, but Zima figured that he'd better end this before they got in trouble with their superiors.

Zima grasped the woman's hand firmly, but lightly still with that mischievous smile on his face. "What my lovely assistant is trying to say is that we're not for sale."

"We?" Sana was baffled. They were _both_ _Persocoms?_

"Yes, so clear out before I have to take you in for questioning!" Dita was leaning over the seated Zima to glare at the audacious human female. Zima, sandwiched between the two females, could not control his earport-to-earport grin.

"I-I'm sorry! I hadn't known that you were police Persocoms!" Sana's hand had been released and she bowed with heavy embarrassment and made her way outside to her vehicle.

"I'm reporting her!" Dita began to record Sana's information for a future arrest.

"No, Dita. There's no need for that. She's embarrassed enough." During the confrontation, Zima's sensors could read the woman's fluctuating heartbeat and shaky breathing patterns. She would not be a future threat.

"You're certain about this?" His Dita can never be too careful.

"Yes. We were programmed with lie detectors after all." Zima smiled and petted Dita's head.

She huffed. "This is your fault you know. You can never be serious and I don't understand why."

Zima shook his head. Dita can never let minor incidents go. She must always assign blame to someone or something. Well, she is a protection Persocom, but still…

"In other words, I was too human by taking my visor off for a second."

"That's going to be a problem if you keep acting illogically like that. You're not supposed to, Zima."

"Well, I can't exactly scan the many books around here with the weather radar blaring in my face all the time."

"What do we need books for? We can access any information at any time."

"You haven't wanted to hold a book in your hands and read it word for word? To let the story reveal itself over time and not have it revealed all at once by simply downloading it into your processor?"

"You are bizarre, Zima. There must be a virus affecting your logic systems. It's the only explanation for it."

"I'll challenge that notion. Come with me and let's browse the library. Manually." He wouldn't let her escape, so he grasped her by the upper arm and practically dragged her away from their seats.

"There's a lot of books here. Look through them. I'm sure you'll find something of interest."

Dita ended up selecting a book by a world's bestseller, Jaime Patterson. He was famous for his action books.

Zima chuckled at her choice. She would pick a book that nearly mirrored their line of work they did.

His choice was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "A Study in Scarlet".

It was 7:45pm. The thunderstorm that had stranded them here had long passed. They were both absorbed into their respective books.

Zima was already into the tenth chapter when out of the corner of his optic, he noticed a glow. It was emanating from Dita. Was she levitating a bit in her seat?

"Dita!" He hissed in a somewhat hushed tone. They couldn't afford another scene. The taller government 'Com rushed out of his seat and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. "Dita love, what's wrong?"

The smaller government 'Com grasped the book in her hands in an apparent trance. Zima ran a scan to see if Elda's program had activated, but found no such information. This was coming from Dita alone. He browsed the activity of the other Persocoms. They were behaving normally.

He had to snap her out of this state. He thought about connecting to Dita's earports, but stopped mid-thought. He wasn't programmed with the software to fix Dita should something happen to her. He would speak with his lab technicians to remedy this.

He shook her shoulders. "Dita, wake up!"

At last, Dita sank back into her chair and seemed to sag into it. A few lights blips and beeping noises alerted Zima to her reawakening.

"Why are looking at me like that, Zima? Did something happen to you?"

"No, something happened to you." He never expected this. Dita looked like Elda when she was activating her program.

"Well, what happened? And no games this time!" Dita demanded. If there was something wrong with her, she couldn't protect Zima.

"It…I can't really explain it. When you were reading that book, you...spaced out for a bit. That's all."

"I'll run a self-diagnostic…No abnormalities discovered."

"Hmm." That was definitely an abnormality, but Dita didn't seem to be damaged and no other Persocom was affected.

"It could be that…" Zima trailed off in his thought. Perhaps the book unlocked more of Dita's emotions. It was similar to whenever Elda was beginning to activate her program. He heard a warm, familiar voice whenever it activated. It couldn't be that bad then since the Persocoms affected by it reported the same experiences.

"It could be what?!" This was no time for Zima's cryptic statements.

"Well, you seem to be fine, so you shouldn't stress about it. It could've been just me." For once, Zima wasn't too sure of his resolve this time around.

Zima collected both of their books and returned them to the front desk. He placed his arm around Dita's shoulders and ushered her towards the exit.

"It's always just you, Zima." Dita huffed as they walked outside of the library and leaped back onto their comfortable rooftop lookout.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: "Jaime Patterson" is a reference to James Patterson.

I read in other fanfics that Zima and Dita are also a part of the Chobits series. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. However, I thought it would be cool to add that idea in this drabble.

Thanks for reading!


	5. Disposable

I watch my ward as he recharges against a water silo atop a large office building. He looks content laying there, but I can detect a slight feeling of discomfort radiating off of him. He looks a little tense as if something's missing. I tell myself to not care about it. Zima is bizarre and I'm about ready to give up trying to decipher his light-hearted moods.

I am standing a few feet in front of him just taking in the nighttime view and the glowing city below us. I don't see any beauty in front of me. It's just buildings with blaring lights meant to aid the humans who prefer to mingle after the sun sets. That's how it's supposed to be viewed.

I overhear the humans' and Persocoms' conversations with my highly-tuned audio sensors. They speak of mostly frivolous things. Now that I think about it, they talk like Zima.

Even though I was made only for him to serve as his protection, our respective logic streams couldn't be more different. I do my job efficiently while he lazes about with his. I can't comprehend it. I've tried many times.

Zima tells me that I have emotions even if my programming doesn't recognize them. I scoff at him each time which makes that smile blossom on his face. It's the smile that makes me feel something I can't put a name to. Because I can't name it, I don't want to deal with it. So I turn away from him every time it happens. He'll pull me against him and embrace me tightly saying how cute or adorable I am when I respond that way.

Next I'll feel my face overheat a little. I'm not supposed to do that, right? Persocoms are computers that run on logic and efficiency and nothing else. If I'm not logical and efficient, I can't do my job. I can't protect Zima.

There's something else. Something that he doesn't understand. Since Persocoms aren't supposed to do these strange things, the humans will believe that we're malfunctioning. Our team of lab technicians will believe that I am malfunctioning. When Persocoms break or malfunction, the humans will scrap us like junk. Some humans destroy their 'Coms for fun. Some humans trade them. Some 'Coms get abandoned. Some are sent to recycling plants. Well, a great many of humans will. I know of the stories of humans that become overly attached to their 'Coms. Or the ones that get theirs repaired. But there are a great number of humans who believe that we are just machines for their pleasure. Just tools to serve them. The government entities no doubt feel this way about us. Perhaps not towards Zima, but most definitely towards me. The data that Zima carries is invaluable to the Japanese government. They simply can't lose him. Me, however... The thought frightens me.

I typically don't like to get into philosophical conversations. Zima loves talk of that nature. However, that kind of talk is dangerous if our humans ever overheard it. That's why I keep these thoughts and feelings to myself.

Humans have written and told stories of machine uprisings. Zima and I monitor the Internet and we find many anti-Persocom groups scattered about. They fear us because we Persocoms are technically better than them. Despite the fearmongering, none of those groups have made any large scale plans to destroy every Persocom in sight. They've simply made the decision to never purchase one. I am fine with that. At least their would-be Persocoms wouldn't be scrapped when their humans became bored with them.

I can't reveal my inner thoughts no matter how badly Zima wants me to. I'm not sure I can even name them properly. If I do release these pent-up "feelings", our humans will likely find me defective. Tools aren't supposed to feel anything.

I'll be scrapped. I'll never see Zima again.

I can't bear the thought of being without him. I just can't say that out loud. I bury the notions in order to stay with him. It's the best that I know how to do.

I find myself satisfied with my inner ponderings and walk back towards the recharging Zima. I sit down next to him and lay against him. He's so tall that I always end up laying on his abdomen. I feel his strong arms instantly lay themselves across me. I feel him relax as I close my optics and recharge within his embrace.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: I hope that you're enjoying this so far! Thanks for reading!


	6. Unscented

The rooftop garden was beautiful to any who would've eyed it. However, such sentiments didn't affect one of the two Persocoms standing amongst the orchids, freesias, and tulips.

A greenhouse resided near the garden a few feet away.

Dita recognized the flowers by both their species and their common terms. She supposed they were nice to look at, but they didn't capture her fancy like her ward.

The tall Persocom was stooped by some orchids with his nose nearly buried in the flowers. He wasn't glitching. She knew so because her systems could monitor his remotely if needed. She was relaxed because she'd already performed a routine scan on him mere minutes before. Dita was forever thorough.

Even though Zima wasn't glitching, she wondered why he was faceplanting his nose into the colorful plants. She monitored his behavior and came to a conclusion. He was trying to _smell_ the orchids.

Zima gave up on the orchids and moved onto the freesias. Dita shook her head.

"Zima, what are you doing? You know our olfactory sensors can only detect smoke, oil, and gases, right?"

Zima ignored her scolding as he always did, but the look on his face this time spoke volumes. If Dita didn't know any better, she'd say that he looked saddened? Frustrated? Or maybe even disappointed? It made her feel heavy inside when he looked like that. She couldn't name the sensation, but whatever it was, she didn't like it. She wanted Zima to smile again, but he wouldn't smile right now because he couldn't achieve what he desired.

"It's too bad. I really wanted to know what they smelled like." Zima finally gave up on the flower garden and walked over somewhat dejectedly back towards Dita.

He sat down next to her against the glass wall of the greenhouse and began to stare at the flower garden. Dita knew that if the greenhouse was open, Zima would browse through it.

The feeling blooming inside Dita began to intensify. She frowned. That darn Zima and his fancies.

Dita's ruby optics began to run streams of code across them as she ran a search for something.

"Okay, Zima. It's said that not all orchids have scents, but the following species are known to have delightful scents: Phalaenopsis violacea/Phal. bellina_, _Miltoniopsis Herralexander, Phragmepedium schlimii, Cycnoches Wine Delight, and Cattleyas. Freesias are said by some to smell extremely sweet and have a soft scent like strawberries."

Zima chuckled. "You went through all of that trouble just for me? Aww, Dita, you're so sweet!" He wrapped his strong arms around her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

Dita nearly smiled herself. That beloved smile of his had returned and that unwelcome feeling dwelling inside of her had subsided and faded.

"I'm not sweet. You wanted to know what they smelled like, so I answered your query."

"Is that so, Dita? I don't recall making a verbal inquiry. I made an observation." Zima winked at her which earned him a huff and a turned cheek.

Zima laughed heartily. "Well, we may not be able to smell the flowers, but I gotta admit that they look good on you, Dita."

"What?" Dita noticed a slight pressure just above her earport. She raised her hand to inspect the sensation and plucked a magenta-white orchid from her hair. Up close like this, Dita agreed that the flower was indeed beautiful, but it made _her_ look good too?

Zima reclaimed the orchid and placed it back in his protector's hair.

Dita was about to scold Zima for stealing the flower, but there was a light, warm feeling blooming inside of her now. She couldn't explain it, she couldn't name it, but she _liked_ this sensation.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: I did a little research on the types of orchids that existed the other day and was surprised to learn that not all of them were fragrant! Then this little blurb popped up and I had to write it.

Thanks to all of those who are reading and all of that good stuff!


	7. Red-Handed

It was routine maintenance and upgrades. "The nature of the beast" as Zima would always quote. We receive them periodically to ensure peak performance. Why he acted like he'd never see me again never ceased to amaze me. He acted as if we were-what is the correct phrasing?-having surgery. Yes. We were not having major surgery like humans do. We have no blood to lose. No organs that are getting sliced apart. No bacterial or viral organisms to fret about. Our internals are meticulously structured and our technicians know exactly how and what to do every time we have "surgery".

I am not acting combative and contrary to irritate him, I simply don't understand why he doesn't have the same concerns as I do. My fears were almost realized yesterday.

_Before we entered the Maintenance Bay, we were ordered to wait until the lab technicians finished preparing our respective "operating" rooms. One room for Zima and another room for me. _

_Zima pouted at the thought of being shut down for hours. It baffled me to a certain degree because he himself acknowledged that this was routine for us. Why is it suddenly a problem every time it happens? His maintenance took no longer than mine as we both had to be at optimal performance for our roles. What could his reluctance stem from? As far I knew, the lab technicians were the same ones as always. It couldn't be that he didn't trust their work._

_I was about ask Zima to unveil the mystery so I could quit being irritated by his "sad puppy" mode when he pulled me against him. This action was made easier by the fact that we were sitting on a leather couch in the room behind the receptionist-'Com's desk. I wondered if Miko had heard me give out that quick squeak. She didn't appear to notice anything which I was grateful for._

_Sudden embraces weren't out of the norm for Zima, but what he did next was. He normally did this when we were alone, but I guess he felt daring? Or perhaps he was being stupid?_

_He grasped the sides of my face and kissed me on my lips. I was about to protest when I heard a male's voice gasp and a few cries of "What the-?" coming from nearby._

_Zima hastily broke off and I looked at the lab technicians with widened optics._

_"Uh, Zima-kun, what was...what were-?" the lab tech known as Kiyomaru Takamine stuttered. He was scratching his short, jet-black hair with uncertainty. His golden brown eyes showed utter confusion._

_"He's not programmed to do things like that is he?" another tech known only as Kazuto blabbered. His light blonde-hair would've stood up if it could imitate the expression on his face. His lavender eyes expressed shock._

_"I can't imagine that he is, but it looked kinda cute." the tech named Eri Michishio seemed to find the situation amusing. Her brown eyes glistened with good-humored mischief._

_I, however, wanted to melt. I guessed it was good that __**one**__ of the lab techs wasn't too perturbed, but that couldn't be said about Kiyo and Kazuto._

_Zima seemed to regret his impulsive actions for once in his ditzy life and covered up his blunder with amazing grace._

_"I overheard Mrs. Mihara speak of kissing Dr. Mihara once and did not know what the action of kissing felt like. I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused."_

_Eri, Kiyo, and Kazuto looked at one another for a short moment and then began to burst out into raucous laughter. Eri's "That's so adorable!" was intermingled Kiyo and Kazuto's guffawing laughter._

_"You know, it actually does make sense. Dr. Mihara __**did**_ _program him to be coy and curious." Kazuto wiped the tears from his eyes as he spoke. I thought it strange because I knew that crying was supposed to happen when humans were sad. Emotions are too weird for me._

_"Yes, that is right. He was only applying the 'knowledge' he obtained in real time like he always does.' Kiyo took deep breaths and finally calmed himself down._

_"Don't worry you two, you're not in trouble." Eri gave us a beautiful, sweet smile. "Though I find it sweet that Zima-kun tested his theory on Dita-chan."_

_I felt the tension inside of me fizzle away. At least we know that these three humans are on our side. If Zima had of tested his "theories" and we were caught by the upper management, we'd not be so lucky._

_I sent Zima a PM. "Keep your theories outside of headquarters next time!"_

_"Duly noted." came his reply._

We were yet again in the Maintenance Bay waiting area. This time we were scheduled for our "follow-up visit". Zima noticed my pensive attitude.

"Don't worry, love." He proceeded to wrap an arm around my shoulder. I responded by tensing up with the memory. He gave my shoulder a squeeze that I assumed to be reassuring. "I'll behave myself."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: Cookies to those who recognize the Zatch Bell and UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie references. ;-) Thanks for reading!

I read the Chobits manga and there's blurbs about the characters on the back. Zima is indeed programmed to be coy and curious.


	8. Brawl in the Family

"So, explain to me what happened exactly." ordered a frustrated administrator.

"Well, sir, it appears that they all set each other off." came a nervous Kiyo Takamine's reply. "Masa requested some information from Zima. Zima, under his normal protocols, refused to divulge the information to unauthorized personnel. Masa, the Criminal and Investigations Data Bank, believed Zima to be uncooperative to his demand and threatened to extract the data himself. Masa's threat activated Dita as she believed Zima to be in danger. As Dita made to protect Zima by subduing Masa, his defense units Akeno and Fujishiro, enacted to protect Masa. Meanwhile, the Health and Sciences Data Bank Ai and her defense unit Sayla were not involved in the scuffle. The Master Password had to be used to break them up."

The self-important administrator pinched the bridge of his nose in utter frustration. "In other words, they did their jobs too well."

"You could put it that way, sir. The good news is that none of the Data Banks were damaged in any way."

"In any case, keep them under close observation once the scans are complete."

"Yes sir."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Inside the Maintenance Bay, the Criminal and Investigations Data Bank glared at Dita behind his shades.

"Don't take it so personal, Masa. Dita love didn't really mean anything by it." the National Data Bank defended his beloved. "We were all just fooling around."

"I know that, but it's _us_. We've never had any intentions of harming Zima. She should know that by now."

"You can't teach a dog new tricks. Isn't that what the humans say?" Akeno grumbled as she straightened out her police uniform. "Dita's always been hostile towards other Persocoms and I'm quite sick of it." The Persocom with waist-length, straight black hair tied in a ponytail and gray optics ignored Zima's protector. Her circuitry was abuzz with energy. Energy she couldn't name, but at the same time, it felt appropriate for the current occasion.

"We never did anything to her? It seems like a hopeless cause?" Fujishiro frowned. He too was sick of the unwanted hostility coming from the unruly-haired Persocom. The tall male with bleach-blonde hair and green optics did not waver his glare. He wanted to fight again if only to let out this building surge in his systems.

"Fujishiro, they couldn't correct that glitch yet? You still say everything in question form." Zima chuckled trying to deflect the other 'Coms' anger.

"He does his job so well, I guess that they overlook it. Or maybe the humans find it amusing." Masa averted his gaze from Dita's back to squash the surges racing through his circuits. He couldn't quite explain what he was feeling just now. He'd seen angry humans before, but he'd never experienced the emotion himself. Right now, he didn't like Dita. '_Is this what anger feels like? It seems right now that whatever I'm feeling is the same for Akeno and Fujishiro too. I better keep an optic out for any other similar experiences in the future._'

The Health and Sciences Data Bank was sent back to her station with her protector currently undergoing upgrades. Zima wondered what Ai and Sayla would add to this confrontation. He could use Ai's cynicism right about now.

Before anything further could be voiced, the lab technicians informed them that they were cleared of any problems and were free to go.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"You should really apologize to them, Dita love. They're our friends. You could even call them family."

"Why should I apologize for doing my job, Zima?" Ever since the scuffle broke out, Dita felt a gnawing sensation at the back of her mind. A sensation that made her believe that she hadn't made a good decision.

"Because you had no job to do this time, Dita."

Dita turned away from Zima and began to stalk off to her stasis pod.

The gnawing feeling didn't let up even after she awoke fully charged the next morning. _'I guess I should apologize to them.'_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: Some Seto no Hanayome (or My Bride is a Mermaid) characters made AU cameos in this ficlet. Fujishiro has a verbal tic where everything he says is a question. I personally think it's hilarious.

Also, I have no idea if Japan has an FBI or CDC equivalent.

Thanks for reading!


	9. Thanks for the Memories

The atmosphere in the employee lounge was a strange mixture of tense and jovial. Kiyo's statement of "I just can't believe the Persocoms would get into a fight like that. Aren't they supposed to be...I don't know...emotionless or something like that?" began the entire conversation.

"They were behaving like rowdy teenagers. And even now, they won't talk to one another." Kazuto mentioned before shoving his meat bun into his mouth.

Eri's comment took things into a new direction entirely. "Speaking of teenagers, I was just thinking of how cute Persocoms are when they're first brought online."

Kiyo and Kazuto stared at their coworker for a few beats, but then began to realize that her seemingly random words held some truth.

"Remember when Zima couldn't navigate stairs? It reminded me of how my Yorkie puppy learned to climb stairs." Eri flushed with the warm memory.

"Or like how Masa thought that his reflection was another Persocom staring back at him." Kiyo chuckled as he recalled the many attempts to teach the Investigations Persocom otherwise. Kazuto's mouth being too full of meat bun, gave off a humming laughter.

"Careful Kaz! You eat like a hippo! Don't choke!" Kiyo rolled his eyes and wondered how Kazuto hasn't choked yet.

The bleach-blonde man wiped his mouth and laughed. "I'm an expert at this by now. You should know that. But anyway, it was too hilarious when Dita saw Zima's shadow as a threat. How she tried to tackle the assailant that refused to leave Zima's side, the hilarity! It was even better seeing the look on her face when her attacks failed."

"Talking about them like this makes it seem like there's more to them than just programming...It's almost as if they're displaying human emotions." Kiyo's chin rested on his fist whenever he became engrossed in a train of thought.

Eri's two cents made Kiyo's thoughts deepen further. "Is that such a bizarre thing though? Even elephants display emotions like grief. They even bury their dead. Why are emotions an exclusively human concept?"

The room grew silent at this revelation.

o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: I hope that you're enjoying this series! Thanks so much for reading!


	10. Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

A/N: This chapter will be a collection of ficlets within one. Without further ado, enjoy!

o-o-o-o-o-o

Zima was admiring Dita in silence as he always did when her back was turned. He even admired her when she faced him. He wasn't just in love with Dita for her stubborn, feisty demeanor. He also loved her "Badass Adorable" look. She wasn't a Persocom that was designed with a "beach body" and the face of a princess. Well, she had the face of a princess, but she was a feisty princess. Her facial features were delicate, but fierce at the same time. How did Dr. Mihara manage to do something so incredible as that?

His feisty princess turned to face him to presumably ask him about their target and found him staring with a smile blooming on his face.

Dita snorted and turned back around. "Idiot."

Zima laughed.

-000-

Zima had insisted on stopping for a bit before moving on. Dita saw no reason why, but there was no stopping her ward once he set his mind on something.

They landed on top of an apartment complex.

"Strangers on the roof! Sumomo has found strangers on the roof!"

The hyperactive pink 'Com had been chasing a cat that had made off with her scarf. The feline had dropped the magenta colored fabric and scurried to another location. It was at the bottom of the stairs that Sumomo noticed the door to the roof open.

The pink 'Com was told by Shinbo to "play somewhere else", so that's what she'd do.

Dita's optics narrowed. She knew that this would be trouble.

"Let's _**go**_, Zima." She knew that her ward would become intrigued by this distraction and wanted to leave before he did. Her efforts failed to her frustration.

"Well, who is this here?" Zima inquired cheerfully.

"This is Sumomo! Are you here to play with me? Sumomo needs new playmates while Shinbo is with Ms. Takako!"

Dita cut off whatever reply Zima formed. "No! We're not here to play with you! In fact, we were just leaving!"

"No, don't leave Sumomo! She has no one to play with! Hideki Motosuwa is scary and Shinbo is too busy with Ms. Takako!"

Dita visibly cringed. Didn't this pink thing have a lower volume other than "Scream Mode"?

"We don't care! We have to go now!" She was fixing to grab Zima by his arm and drag him. The tall idiot was too amused by this situation.

"But you are like Sumomo!"

Dita didn't want to respond, but the illogic of her being anything like that pink nuisance disagreed with every circuit inside her body.

"What does that mean?"

"You're flat as Sumomo! We're like sisters!"

Zima couldn't hold back the laugh that he fought off until this point.

His laughter went unnoticed by both Dita and Sumomo. Such concepts as personal body image were irrelevant to Dita. She was built to be efficient and that's all that she cared about. She imagined that if she were bustier, she wouldn't be able to do her job as fluently.

"You're not too bright, are you? We're not standard Persocoms. And besides, all laptop Persocoms are "small" or as you call it "flat"."

"But if Sumomo were bigger, Shinbo might pay attention to Sumomo more."

Zima gathered his wits once again and quickly figured out the tiny Persocom's plight. During his laughing fit, he also researched who the "Shinbo" and "Ms. Takako" people were.

"So, that's what the problem is. Your Shinbo has been romantically involved with Ms. Takako Shimizu. You miss Shinbo's company, so you think being "bigger" will make him like you again."

"You missed the mark a little bit! Shinbo still likes Sumomo, but Shinbo doesn't play with Sumomo that often anymore." the tiny pink 'Com pouted, but still sounded cheerful in one bout. Zima was amazed at the conflicting emotions he perceived.

"Whatever, that's your problem to solve. We can't do anything to help you." Dita was feeling miffed at the distraction from their task and the fact that a strange Persocom had the audacity to compare the two of them.

"Well, I'm afraid that my lovely partner is correct. We really must be moving on. I'm sure that you'll be able to have fun with someone else one day." Zima gave Sumomo a charming smile and before he turned to Dita, he left Sumomo with a parting word of advice. "I don't think you should change yourself though."

The two government 'Coms took off from the roof to their next destination.

"It's about time you decided to leave! The gall of that thing!"

"Come now, Dita. She didn't mean any harm."

"Tch! No one annoying ever "means any harm" to you!"

"It sounds to me that you're offended by the "flat" comment."

"W-what made you think that I'm upset over **that**?! That stupid midget was getting too personal for comfort. Whoever programmed her doesn't have the slightest clue on how to interact with others."

"She did have an odd programming code, I'll give you that. But I don't think that she means any harm with her shameless statements."

"Hmph. At least I'm not hyperactive."

"Now, don't you go wanting to change either."

"Like I'd ever do that. I won't do that even for you."

"Good. I like my Dita love as she is...even if she is flat." Zima's mischievous side would never be quelled.

"You're hopelessly stupid. I think I've told you that before."

"Countless times." Zima pressed a kiss to her forehead and patted it.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: I hope you enjoyed!


	11. The Rain Won't Fall

Takako Shimizu sat forlornly on the swing set outside of her apartment. The park was surrounded by cherry blossom trees full of pink and white brilliance. The woman felt like it was out of place. They should've been barren to reflect her mood. It had been hours, but she felt as if it were an eternity. She was locked out again. Her husband giving all of his affections to the Persocom that lived with them.

Takako couldn't be angry at the Persocom. It was highly unlikely that Shizuka was aware of the situation. Persocoms didn't feel emotional pain or guilt. They just responded to what they were told. Shizuka likely didn't understand what was being done to her. The teacher felt it a proper moment to have a quick burst of bitter laughter. Her husband was lusting over someone that was not real and would never sincerely return his affections and advances.

But it still hurt. Takako was told that she was gorgeous. A knock out. Sexy. Beautiful. She was a real woman that displayed real emotions. Real love and real touches. She was told that she had an amazing personality.

But that wasn't enough for her husband.

There was one thing that Takako envied about Persocoms. They didn't cry. They couldn't cry.

Maybe she could try to be like that beautiful Persocom that unwittingly stole her husband's heart. Shizuka couldn't cry.

Takako wouldn't either.

* * *

A dark pair of people were walking slowly through a park because the tall male wanted to admire the cherry blossoms at night.

The smaller of the two scolded him for the activity's inanity. She couldn't see the difference of the cherry blossoms after the sun set. They were the exact same during the daytime.

The tall male chuckled and informed her that he was admiring the visual differences the petals had during the night.

The lithe female scoffed and said nothing more.

Zima was about to leave when he noticed a lone human sitting on a swing set staring at a single spot on the ground. She was quite a distance away from them, but the National Data Bank had zoomed in to get a closer look.

The expression donning her face was peculiar to the tall 'Com.

"Now, that's something I've never seen before."

"What's wrong?"

"The woman over there looks like she's in pain."

"Let me see." Dita followed Zima's gaze and zoomed in as well. "I don't see any blood or sense any physical distress."

"No, not that type of pain, Dita."

"Then what could be wrong with her?"

"She wants to cry. She needs to cry. But she won't for some reason."

"Are you suggesting that you want to make her cry?" Dita raised an eyebrow at Zima. Intentionally causing humans any distress or inconvenience would land them in trouble. '_This had better not be one of his antics again._'

"No, Dita. The poor lady over there looks like she's lost something dear to her. She doesn't have anyone to allow her to cry."

"I don't understand what you're getting at, Zima. Humans cry whenever and for whatever reason they feel like. Why would she need someone's permission to cry?"

Zima shakes his head for two reasons: frustration and disagreement.

"I'm not speaking of 'permission to cry', but rather trust. She needs someone whom she trusts. That will allow the dam of tears to open and gradually ease her pain." Zima felt himself sympathizing with the tortured woman. "Haven't you ever felt hopeless about anything? Have you ever felt that you have nowhere else to turn? No one to turn to? I feel like that sometimes."

"You shouldn't feel like that, Zima. We have our functions and that's all we'll ever need."

Zima gave off an equivalent to a sigh. "Never mind, Dita."

There were times where he wished he was human. Times like these were what made him wish for the ability to shed tears.

He sometimes questioned why Dr. Mihara wanted his Persocom children to experience emotions and free will, but didn't give them the proper methods of displaying them.

Was it a lost cause? Would Dita never understand emotions?

Those questions caused him great pain.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: Oy, I know that this story is categorized under "Romance/Humor", but this particular ficlet had to be sad. And besides, who said romance was an entirely happy affair?

Thanks for reading!


	12. Her Sunshine Might Come

(A continuation of "The Rain Won't Fall".)

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

All Zima had planned to do that night was admire the cherry blossom trees as they glowed in the moonlight. He had monitored the weather reports carefully and the forecast finally predicted a clear night.

The cloudless sky and endless stars made the city seem ethereal to the National Data Bank. A being who didn't get to spend much time outdoors and also did not have the proper time to fully enjoy it.

But this night was different upon the discovery of an anomaly. A forlorn woman idly swinging on the swing set in the park. The weather forecast didn't call for rain for a quite some time, but this woman needed to let her own personal rain fall.

He knew there was nothing he alone could feasibly do to fix her plight. However, he didn't feel right just leaving the poor woman there suffering in silence. Persocoms were created to help humans after all. At least, that's what society deemed. Zima knew that Dr. Mihara had more philosophical motives in mind than society's shallow, self-centered ones.

He would help her. He didn't know how yet, but he always figured something out on the fly.

The tall, dark male began walking towards the woman in the park.

"Zima? What are doing?"

For once, he didn't quite hear his protector's words. He was focused on how to approach the woman. What should he say? How should he say it?

He didn't have much time to think it through. He was walking at a careful, slow pace, but within a few short seconds he'd arrive at his destination.

He decided that the shades needed to go. He couldn't look intimidating for this encounter. He was slightly worried that his earports would ruin the conversation. She could be a human who believed that Persocoms were mere tools. She might even try to steal him. She may not even take him seriously due him being a Persocom.

No time to turn around now. She had spotted him.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Takako Shimizu looked up as she heard a slight rustling off to her right. A tall, dark man was slowly walking towards her. He stopped at the edge of the park and looked a bit startled as if in confusion.

Was he lost? She noticed a smaller figure a little further in the background with arms crossed over their chest looking rather miffed. Were they a couple who had a lovers' spat? That must be it. The boyfriend must've wanted some time away from his angry girlfriend for the time being. The girlfriend sat on a nearby bench while her boyfriend seemed to be at a loss for words as he stood staring at the swing set Takako sat on. He didn't seem happy at seeing the spot occupied.

"Oh, don't mind me, sir. I was about to leave. This spot is all yours." Takako got off the swing and wondered where she would go. She was still locked out of her apartment. Her husband was likely still lusting over the Persocom, Shizuka. The thought brought about a small grimace to her delicate features.

"It's difficult, isn't it?"

The baritone voice made Takako jump. She turned to the tall man once more. He had a sad look on his face. She noticed that his eye color was rather odd. They were maroon. Contacts perhaps?

"I'm sorry, what's difficult?"

"Feeling trapped. Having no one to turn to anymore. Forgive my intrusion, but I couldn't help, but notice how sad you look tonight."

"Your situation is likely better than mine. Young lovers have their spats and then make up as if nothing ever happened. I...don't think I'll ever 'make up' with my significant other." "_He's not even 'significant' anymore._"

"Ah, but my situation isn't so simple either. I too have no one who truly understands my feelings. No one to vent to. Someone whom I thought I could trust with my fears and dreams."

"But surely it's not hopeless. At least your partner can learn. It may take a while. It may seem like forever, but it'll happen before you know it. There's no chance of going back for me. I was discarded. You were not."

That sentence made Zima pause. It was true. Dita hadn't discarded him at all. The thought brought a smile back to his face.

"If you were discarded, clearly your partner didn't value you. There must be someone out there who will."

"I don't know if I can trust another man to love me. It's not the first time a man has abandoned a human over a Persocom. Heh, there's even women who prefer their male 'Coms over their partners as well. But, I can't be angry at Shizuka, she's our-or rather his Persocom."

Takako turned to stare up at her former apartment on the fifth floor. "She's a machine after all. I highly doubt that she even understands what romance and intimacy are. The joke's on him. He's obsessed with something that can never truly love him back."

Zima let her dig at Persocoms slide. This woman was in emotional pain. Ms. Shimizu didn't even seem to notice that he was a Persocom yet. He also didn't know who the Persocom named Shizuka was either. He ran a quick IP scan and located the 'Com in question. His database pulled her image file. She was a Persocom with waist length reddish-brown hair and amber eyes. She wore a navy blue tank-top dress. She was designed to look like a twenty-six year old woman. All in all, a beautiful Persocom indeed.

The National Data Bank also scanned her inner thought processes. "_Shizuka doesn't seem to be enjoying what Mr. Shimizu is doing to her. She preferred it when Mr. Shimizu loved Takako. Sadly, it's too late for any redemption from poor Takako here._" Zima pinged Shizuka with a message that Takako Shimizu wouldn't be returning home.

Shizuka's return message made Zima's eyes widen. "_I don't quite understand why Mr. Shimizu locks his wife out. We were all so happy together. I never meant to cause Mrs. Shimizu any trouble. Please tell her that I wish her the best in finding happiness again and that I am sorry._"

"Ms. Shimizu, that is your name, right? Are you so sure that Shizuka isn't aware of the situation?" Zima's face was blooming with a smile even though Takako's back was still turned to him.

Takako chuckles. "You're not suggesting that Shizuka actively agreed to my husband's cheating, are you?"

"No, of course not. But what if I told you that she feels bad for what happened? That she wishes that you'd find happiness again? And most importantly, that she's sorry that she inadvertently caused you such pain?"

"Oh, you're acting as if you spoke with her." Takako chuckles again. Is this guy trying to make a joke? If so, he's not very good at it.

"I'm not acting, I did speak with Shizuka. Just now in fact." Zima's face was a cheerful smile at this point.

Takako finally turned and faced the tall man with maroon eyes.

She took a step back and gasped. The man had a large, warm smile on his face. What she also noticed were his flat, white earports. "_He's a Persocom?! But how did he-?_"

She'd never encountered a Persocom with such an in-depth understanding of human emotions before. She was too startled for words.

"My forecast calls for rain. I think you should let it fall, but only when you've found some good ground that'll soak it up without hesitation." the tall Persocom winked at the teacher.

"I...still don't know if I can. The grounds are saturated enough already from others' tears. They have no more room for mine."

"Ah, but the ground dries out over time. A spot will appear before you know it." Zima once again felt his signature smile bloom on his face. He gave the woman a farewell bow.

He pinged the impatient Dita and they took off for the rooftops leaving the woman in the park behind.

"What do you think you were doing? We were supposed be back at headquarters a half hour ago!"

"I was merely venting some frustrations, love. It felt good to let them out. But I don't how well I helped that woman though."

"I told you that you couldn't do anything for her."

"I couldn't perhaps, but someone else can. I just hope that someone comes sooner rather than later."

The bounding duo didn't see the man named Shinbo walking towards the same park where Ms. Takako Shimizu returned to sitting on the swings staring at a spot on the ground.

* * *

A/N: I tried to tie this little two-parter into canon somehow. I hope that my efforts worked out! Thanks for reading and a big thank you to ThanosTitan for the suggestions!


End file.
